Overview
- The National Trust secured a £10 million unrestricted donation from philanthropist Humphrey Battcock, its largest single cash gift.
- Leaders cast the funding as a boost for 2026 priorities focused on nature restoration, including further licensed beaver releases, support for white‑tailed eagles and work to bolster hazel dormice.
- Decarbonisation measures slated for 2026 include solar panels and four air‑source heat pumps at Stourhead in Wiltshire, alongside a reed‑bed wastewater scheme at Clent Hills near Birmingham.
- Public engagement plans feature live wildlife broadcasts to towns via “seal‑mobiles,” more seating at historic properties, and new textile exhibitions curated with Karun Thakar.
- The Trust also intends to take on operational management of the Heartlands site in Pool, Cornwall, which has been closed for two years due to financial difficulties.